single chair containing Loch.
Loch slumped against the chains that bound him to the chair. Blood dripped sluggishly from his left arm, forming a small pool on the marble floor beneath him. His head turned fractionally in my direction. Still alive, but for how long?
I blocked out my worry and retreated deep into my public persona.
“What is the meaning of this?” Lady Rockhurst demanded.
I hit the panic button on the control panel next to the door. Metal panels clanged into place, physically blocking the doors while energy shields glowed around the room. Damn, security was intense. I pointed my stun pistol at Lady Rockhurst, Lord Yamado, and Father.
“Raise your hands and move to the floor of the room,” I said. None of them moved. I shot a stun bolt over their heads, nearly grazing Father. “Now, if you please.”
“Ada—” Father started, thunderclouds in his expression. He hadn’t expected me to notice Loch’s disappearance, and if not for Bianca, I wouldn’t have until it was too late. Father had seized the opportunity to solve all of his problems at once and then deny any involvement. Honestly, I should’ve expected it, but I thought, for once, that Father would be honorable. Ha.
“You have one second to comply,” I said. I moved my finger to the trigger, prepared to stun all three of them and drag them away from their desks.
Father raised his hands and stood with a scowl. Lord Yamado followed suit. Lady Rockhurst glared coldly. I smiled and tightened my finger on the trigger. Whatever she saw in my face caused her to raise her hands and flounce down from her desk.
With them on the floor level, I closed the distance to Marcus. I felt for his pulse—it beat strong and sure under my fingers. He was definitely injured, but he wasn’t as bad off as he looked.
“You should’ve left me,” Loch murmured. His eyes swept over me before he added, “Nice dress.”
I kept an eye on the three most powerful people in the universe while I tried to figure out how to free Loch. Lady Rockhurst inched toward the wall but a stun bolt that passed close enough to nick her green dress stopped her progress. “Keep pressing me and I will stun and tie the lot of you,” I warned. “Where is the key to the chains?”
“The only copy is with the guard outside,” Lady Rockhurst said with smug satisfaction.
“I can get free,” Loch whispered, his lips barely moving. “I need ten seconds of warning.”
“I’ll do my best,” I told him quietly.
“Ada, put down the gun and we can discuss this like civilized adults,” Father said.
“You went behind my back and grabbed one of my employees,” I said. “That doesn’t seem very civilized.”
“You mean your fuck toy?” Lady Rockhurst said, contempt dripping from every word. “I should have expected you to lower yourself—”
I shot her with a stun bolt. She went down with a scream. Neither Father nor Lord Yamado moved to help her. “Would anyone else like to comment?” I asked.
“Ada Irena Maria Franziska von Hasenberg, I am your father and you will do as I say,” Father barked. “Put down the gun and stop embarrassing yourself.” True fury saturated his tone. He really meant I should stop embarrassing him—and possibly House von Hasenberg, but I’d bet even it was a distant second right now.
That tone of voice plus the use of my full name used to be enough to shove me back into line, but tonight it was not going to work. “You do realize that I vastly prefer Ferdinand, right?” I asked, naming my oldest brother and heir to House von Hasenberg. “You are in no position to demand anything of me.”
“I will disown you for this,” he promised.
Even though I knew it would likely come down to this, hurt sliced through my system. Family was everything to a High House, not for sentimental reasons, but in order to maintain a strong, powerful House. I couldn’t remember the last time someone was disowned.
As part of a High House, no matter what happened, you knew the House would have your back. So did everyone else. Even when I left home, I knew that if things ever went completely sideways, I could just reveal my identity and House von Hasenberg would do whatever it took to get me out.
By threatening to remove the protection of our House, Father had just promised that everyone who held a grudge against House von Hasenberg in general—or me in particular—would target me because